Heart of Maze
by Iewees
Summary: The pair had arrived at Shara, separated from the gang. Something seems to be happening to Fai. Can Kurogane find out what before it's too late? YAOI/non Con. Be Warned.
1. Prologue (Last)

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, neither do i own the starting of this story.

Warning: THIS ENTRIE STORY IS YAOI/ BxB. DO NOT PROCEED IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

LOTS OF ANGST AND RAPE/ NON CON. BE-WARNED.

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue: Last<strong>

"It's for the best." Fai whispered, staring intently into the black eyes which was widening by the second.

Without waiting for the raven to react, the pale lips begun to move, chanting a soft spell. The loud howl of the wind in the background masked the gentle string of words as the body before him froze in motion.

Lights in the tall man's eyes went dimmer and dimmer before disappearing entirely as the spell worked its way onto the strong man.

Fai reached out, gently caressing the tanned face. The huge body rose to the air and hovered.

_"My ordeal, your anxiety and anger.. "_

A faint tint of red returned to those eyes as they stared unseeing into the far distance.

_"The plegde towards Yasha.."_

Wind swirled and clashed around them. The red became more distinct.

_"Our love.."_

A faint tint of blue returned back to his eyes as they lingered on the suave face. Fai leaned in, planting a gentle kiss onto the raven's lips before pulling away.

_"Let it all be forgotten."_

Trees in the far distance shook as a tornado of wind spun around the pair.

"It's for the best." He whispered. The blue glowed, turning sapphire, a small tear glistening at the corner.

All of a sudden, the whirling ceased.

Then, crimson red met sapphire blue.

The spell had completed.

* * *

><p>AN:

Hi guys, sorry for the lack of updates for so long. I've decided to restart this again. So bear with me for a while. I'll change some stuff here and there, but overall the storyline will still follow my initial plans.

Stay tuned! :)


	2. The Raven

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, neither do i own the starting of this story.

Warning: THIS ENTRIE STORY IS YAOI/ BxB. DO NOT PROCEED IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

LOTS OF ANGST AND RAPE/ NON CON. BE-WARNED.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Raven<strong>

Two weeks had passed since the two men arrived in the foreign country, separated from their travelling group. It was by sheer luck that they survived the fall and got accepted into the army.

To be honest, Kurogane savoured every moment in the camp. From the daily intensive training to the stink of men's sweat that hung in the air, he missed it all. It was like he never left home. The only difference was probably the language. It sounded like his own, only with a certain slur to it. Nevertheless, he could understand and communicate with them. He was at ease and at home.

It was probably due to this nostalgic that he had failed to notice it in the beginning. But he could almost swear that the mage was behaving strangely these few days. He just could not grasp what was wrong.

The idiot had never been in much trouble he cannot settle on his own. But nowadays… he really did seem to be stirring up more problems than he can handle. Maybe it's just because of the language barrier which caused miscommunications.. Frankly speaking, without Monoka, even he, could not understand that funny flowery language Fai is speaking.

But then again, he was annoying to begin with. So it didn't surprise him that the blonde got onto the people's nerves. And when he came to his rescue, that idiot will then flashed that false grin of his.. it just pissed him off so much that he could not be bothered with him.

It was only when he found the magician shivering in fright in the middle of the night, seemingly still trapped in his own nightmare; it then really dawned upon him that something was really wrong. Somehow, only his presence could keep him at ease.

xXx

Kurogane yawned, stretching himself after a night coiled up against the mage.

"Fai!" He grunted, eyes suddenly shot open in alarm at his carelessness. He was supposed to go back to his own bed before dawn to prevent awkwardness from the blonde. After all, it must be strange to wake up finding your travelling partner cuddling so close to you on your bed. He had never failed to do so for the past week. Well, maybe except for today.

Wait. Cuddle? Kurogane frowned stop short in his thought. No. He DID NOT _cuddl_e the magician. He was only there because the idiot had looked so vulnerable and frightened. He just could not leave him alone. It was only right that he stayed beside him. Yes that's right. He was merely being..

Where's the idiot? His frown deepened upon realising that Fai was no longer sleeping beside him.

Kurogane quickly shook himself awake. That bloody idiot. Where did he go so early in the morning? It was barely six although the bright morning sun had already shone through the flaps of their tent. Training would not commence until 7 today.

Despite the strange nudging at the back of his head, Kurogane shrugged and headed for breakfast instead. The blonde should be able to take of himself.

Consisted of a huge empty tent and a long side- table overloaded with food, the dining area was littered with people. There were no extra tables or chairs so the soldiers were all either sitting on the ground or standing while eating.

Kurogane automatically took a quick glance around before proceeding to get his breakfast. Nope. Not here. He made a mental note to himself.

Throughout the entire morning, Kurogane found himself unconsciously scanning the area, attempting to find the mage. However, he was nowhere in sight.

"Kuro-pii!" A distinctive voice rang out from behind and he turned around to see a jumpy blonde grinning at him. Kurogane let out a sigh of relief which was unnatural of him. Nevertheless, he could not resist the urge to growl at him. Fai was irritating as always, insisting on calling him nicknames that he hates so much.

"Where did you go all morning?" Kurogane barked, stopping himself short upon seeing the clueless face which was still grinning away. Right. He forgot.. The idiot could not understand him.

Just as Kurogane was about to ask the question again, in sign language, he spotted a leaf on the blonde's hair. Automatically, he reached out towards the magician's face in attempt to remove it.

To his surprise, the mage flinched, shutting his eyes in reflex as he jerked his head away from his approaching hand before recovering and stared up at him questioning.

Kurogane narrowed his eyes but continued to reach out to grab the leaf out of his hair and let it float down to the ground. Each motion was done deliberately to ensure that the blonde knew exactly what he was trying to do.

Upon seeing the leaf, the mage then let out a giggle, grinning sheepishly and took off. There was no mistake.

It was that fake smile again.

* * *

><p>AN:

Chapter 2's out. :) As said, there will be minor changes to the old version.

I'll try to update twice a week. But no promises.


	3. The Blonde

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, neither do I own the starting of this story.

Warning: THIS ENTRIE STORY IS YAOI/ BxB. DO NOT PROCEED IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

LOTS OF ANGST AND RAPE/ NON CON. BE-WARNED.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: The Blonde<strong>

Fai walked into the bath tent solemnly. It was sometime pass dinner and the sky had already turned dark. Majority of the bathing crowd has already dispersed to their own sleeping tents, leaving more than half the area empty.

As he made his way into the showering area, Fai hung his head and stared at the floor. He could feel eyes lurking on him, each gleaming with lust at his naked body, threatening to swallow him whole in the distance.

Usually he would avoid bathing at this time. He knew that there will still be people around, so he would settle for a shower in the late hours of the night or the wee hours before dawn breaks where majority of the people were asleep. He didn't like the feeling of being watched, especially in shower, the only time he can relax.

Today, however, he just felt like showering regardless of the time or the number of people. Water has always been able to clear his thoughts and he needed it badly today.

"Well.. At least it's only half-filled" Fai muttered to himself refusing to give in to his pessimistic thoughts. After all, it was not like him to see a glass half empty instead of half-full. It is a matter of psychology.

As the cascade of warm water lands and flow down his back, he felt his tense muscles relax.

However, this moment of liberation is nothing but short.

His muscles once again coil up in preparation for battle at the threatening sensation that bores into his back.

Knowing that it is the usual intense looks of 'admiration' and mostly desire that he is receiving, he shuddered uneasily, attempting to push the sickening sensation of people following his every movement out of his mind and indulge in his endeavour.

He then turned the knob up to increase the flow of water as well as the temperature.

Now, water no longer sprinkled but pounded on his back, swallowing him in its descend, washing away the lingering stares, stress and intense training he had endured the entire day. The loud continuous thud of water against his skin had effectively aid in blocking him from the world he so desires to escape.

Fai stood under the torrent of water for god knows how long.

The kids.

The mission.

The men.

The language.

This place.

_Him._

He closed his eyes, enjoying the simple rhythmic beat of the water together with his heart in sync. At the moment, he genuinely felt at ease, mind momentarily emptied of all his troubles and worries.

There were just so many.

* * *

><p>AN:

For those new, this is kinda like a continuation of "Though they wander far from home".

I might change some details from there but overall the story streams from it.

You may wanna read that first before continuing. :)


	4. Something is Amiss

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, neither do I own the starting of this story.

Warning: THIS ENTRIE STORY IS YAOI/ BxB. DO NOT PROCEED IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

LOTS OF ANGST AND RAPE/ NON CON. BE-WARNED.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Something is Amiss<strong>

For the entire afternoon, Kurogane found himself keeping a close watch on Fai, so much that he got hit a few times. It was unlike him. He had always been attentive during training. But this time, he could not help it. Fai's instinctive reaction to his approaching hand had bugged him. His reaction was.. _strange_.

In that few hours, Kurogane noticed a few things. And he did not like what he saw. Maybe it was just his imagination, or maybe he was just feeling paranoid. But eyes of the Yasha men seemed to follow the blonde like a hawk wherever he went. A small fluttering feeling swirled in his stomach.

Kurogane shrugged, brushing the unease off. Even though the mage seemed to talk less then usual, there was no sign of discomfort or unease. He was still his goofy self, beaming away as usual. Maybe the soldiers were still overwhelmed by his unique appearance and behaviour. His blonde hair and lean figure did stand out in this sea of tanned, muscular, black-headed men. The men of Yasha certainly looked and think more like him than Fai ever did or will.

"Urgh" He growled as another blow landed on his face. He had been too distracted. This was the second hit by his opponent. Sure, the guy did look threatening with his huge biceps and arm muscles, but that meant nothing to Kurogane. Given a monster, he would still not allow a single finger to touch him, let alone a direct hit.

Kurogane hissed in disgruntlement, annoyed at himself for losing his concentration. Forget about that idiot. What he needs to do right now is focus and get even. He rubbed his jaw and grinned. Feeling the sudden rush of adrenaline, he gripped his wooden sword as he lunged forward to attack.

Smirking in contentment, Kurogane watched as the 8-foot man lie flat on the ground, unconscious. He could not help but smile. That man, Rikudo, was a tough opponent, refusing to admit defeat even though he knew that he was no match for him. He just kept standing up every time Kurogane knocked him down. Kurogane would then proceed to land him on the floor again. The practice duel lasted for almost an hour. Finally, it ended when the persistent guy was knocked unconscious. Kurogane respected his devotion in training and his drive to win.

Satisfied, Kurogane relaxed his battle-worn shoulders and headed for shelter under the tree. The duel was the last part of training for the day. He wanted to get some rest. Letting his muscles relax, his eyes begun to wander as he gulped water to hydrate his body.

All of a sudden, his muscles tensed, realising that his companion had once again disappeared.

Cursing under his breath, he searched the area, only to find the blonde leaning against a tree, alone in the far corner, staring into space. Kurogane walked up to him, glaring. That idiot never fails to worry him.

"Fai!" He snapped, reaching his hand out to shake the magician out of his trance. Fai seemed to be in a world of his own, oblivious to his approach.

Things happened so fast that everything seemed like a blur.

Kurogane saw Fai's eyes widened in shock the moment he reached out and instinctively retaliate. Slapping his hands away from him, Fai twisted his body elegantly out into space before extending his arm swiftly towards his attacker's face for the kill.

Kurogane only ducked in time to prevent the weapon of a limb from striking his face as the mage's arm cut dangerously a few inches above his head. The moment the arm missed its target, a fist came flying in his direction.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Kurogane growled as he caught the flying fist and grabbed his wrists before Fai could launch another attack on him.

Kurogane watched as the pale face in front of him turned from one that belonged to a merciless killer to one in shocked as reality dawn upon him. In another split second, the stunned look was wiped off as the usual sheepish grin replaced it.

Fai laughed awkwardly, muttering some incoherent gibberish while punching him lightly in the chest. As though trying to tell him that what happened just a moment ago was meant to be a joke. Then without warning, he turned around and skipped off, leaving Kurogane bewildered, standing alone in the clearing.

"Kurogane-sama." A small nudge at his side snapped him out of his bewilderment as he turned around. A small kid stood behind him. The messenger boy, Ryu.

"What do you want?" He growled in annoyance. Damn kid. He was going to chase after him and demand an explanation.

"War Master Mizuro has instructed me to pass you a message." The kid shivered, backing off slightly as he spoke in a small voice.

"He wants me to tell you that there will be a meeting tomorrow night."

"What's it got to do with me?" Kurogane narrowed his eyes. Usually a meeting between the camp council will take place every two days.

"The War Master demands your presence."

"Mizuro did?" His frown deepened. A small soldier like him would have no part to play in such meetings.

"'You must come.' That's what he said."

Questions jostled in his mind. His mind wandered from Fai to Ryu to the people in the camp to the meeting and finally back to Fai.

One thing for sure, something was definitely wrong.

He was determined to find out what.

* * *

><p>AN:

I'll upload chapters every mon/tue and fri :)

Stay tuned!


	5. Something is Brewing

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, neither do I own the starting of this story.

Warning: THIS ENTRIE STORY IS YAOI/ BxB. DO NOT PROCEED IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

LOTS OF ANGST AND RAPE/ NON CON. BE-WARNED.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Something is Brewing<strong>

The purpose of this trip was to sort out his thoughts. He had been contemplating whether to tell his companion about the situation at hand for the past week.

Given the raven's temper and character, Fai knew that he would definitely explode in anger and blow up the matter. Then, there would be no return when that happens.

Surely, it would involve at least a few broken tables and a collapsing tent. Blood spill would be inevitable. Then his thoughts stop short. He did not want to think what kind of consequences Kurogane's reaction would bring. They had to stay here and wait for the kids to arrive. It would not be safe to leave this place and wander around with the war brewing.

A small chuckle of irony escaped from his throat. Yet, he would not be safe to stay here. Something told him that things aren't going to get better with time.

Furthermore, there was something wrong about this place.

Dark magic lurked in the depths of the shadow. Something ancient, something foreboding. He did not know what, but it did not seem to pose much trouble at this moment.

Fai shuddered, returning back to his thoughts. Sure, the marks on his body would serve as evidence to his mishap, but it would not pinpoint its inflictor. These bruises only serve to prove one thing- that he was weak and could not fend for himself.

That is the one last thing he wanted to happen. For Kuro to think that he cannot take care of himself and require saving.

To be honest, a part of him had wanted Kuro to figure it out and save him from further torture. Kuro will protect him. But he had not forgotten the night in the bar in Outo Country. Kuro had said that people should rescue themselves and not wait for others to do it. He had scoffed when Fai said that he had been waiting for some one to come and take him away.

No. He would not allow it. _I can take care of myself_. He shivered as the ghost of the night's dream flashed past his eyes once again. The vivid memory of his companion's disgust still haunted him. You could not imagine the shock he had the first time he opened his eyes to see Kurogane's face next to his. It was as though he had woken up to a continuation of his nightmare. Just that it wasn't. The face of the sleeping raven close to his somehow feels_.. _

_Comfortable?_

Well, in any case, he wasn't complaining. It was warmer that way. Snow had begun to pile these few days. It's only going to get colder as the days passes. The heart of the winter is approaching..

Maybe that was the reason why his nightmares had stopped haunting him recently.

In any case, never is he going to speak a word about this to his partner. In the event that he really did notice..

Fai chuckled silently. _What is the likelihood of that actually happening? Pretty low he'll say._ His secret would be safe as long as the deed is not caught red-handed. He can beam and hid behind his mask in the meantime.

He will not allow it to happen. Kuro-tan will never know.

With that, he made his decision.

"Hrrrr" Feeling suddenly breathless from the long shower of hot water, Fai snapped out of his thoughts and turn the water off.

He glanced over at his shoulder, noting that his pale skin has already turned red. What had seems like one min in his head could possibly be thirty minutes in reality.

Taking a deep breath, Fai stared down at the floor, letting the remnant water drip. He exhaled, his breath echoing across the shower area.

Noting the sudden lack of sound, Fai raised his head quizzically. When has the area become so quiet? Puzzled, he tilted his head sideways, stealing a glance at the doorway.

Two silhouettes, shadows cast against the tent by the moonlight met his eyes.

Is that.. guards?

Why would the bathing tent have.. Before he could decipher what was going on, Fai felt himself taking a sharp intake of air as the presence of another body previously oblivious to him was made known.

Every muscle that had been relaxed a moment ago rapidly tensed up in that instant.

He did not have to look to know who was standing behind him.

* * *

><p>AN:

My chapters are going to be short for easy reading. So don't be too dissappointed with its length.

In any case, I ended up changing quite a fair bit from the original storyline. It might go off in a different direction.

I'm not too sure myself but things are going to get more interesting! Stay tuned. :)


	6. Smell of Trouble

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, neither do I own the starting of this story.

Warning: THIS ENTRIE STORY IS YAOI/ BxB. DO NOT PROCEED IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

LOTS OF ANGST AND RAPE/ NON CON. BE-WARNED.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Smell of Trouble<strong>

"Where did the damn idiot go this time?" Cursing under his breath, Kurogane paced around in a circle inside their tent. Anxiety and unease flooded his body.

Now that he noticed the many small reactions Fai unknowingly had, Kurogane could not help but feel worry for the blonde. The sudden flinch upon touch, the small step backwards upon a stranger's approach, the instinctive retaliation this morning... Kurogane wanted to slap himself. How could he not have notice it?

From the beginning, Fai had attempted to seek help and comfort from him by so often sticking so close to him that he got annoyed. How many times had he brushed the mage aside to continue his business, neglecting him completely?

Now that he no longer attempt, Kurogane could not help but sigh. The trembling figure of the slender magician in the night still lingered in his head.

With the memory flash, he finally snapped. "Better check on him than waiting here and think about useless things." He spat, whacking himself mentally as he rushed out of the tent, heading towards the bathing area. He has always been more of a man of actions than words.

The moment he saw the two people standing outside the bathing tent, he knew something was amiss. His eyes narrowed as he recognised the two men guarding the bath house.

Those were the two men that got beaten up by Fai the other day. The thick black brows plunged down upon the realisation.

"This place is off limited for now. Please come back later." The shorter, scrawnier one barked with a tint of nervousness as two arms suddenly shot out of nowhere, preventing him from moving forward.

Raising his eyebrows, Kurogane stared hard down at the man, looking a bit bemused. "Who are you to deny my entry?" He challenged.

Then, he felt a hard pat on his shoulder.

It was the giant man. Matsuda. Even with his height, this man was more than two heads taller than him. He had to look up to meet his eyes.

"Master said, no one is to enter. And no one shall enter." The giant grunted, staring into the red eyes firmly. There was no hint of fear in them. Kurogane had seen the man train before. He could easily lift two soldiers up and hurled them to the ground like they were just two pieces of bean bags. Matsuda was strong.

But..

"Arghh!" A strangled cry escaped from within the tent.

It was soft. But there was no mistake. His eyes widen in shock as his anger boiled. That voice!

Kurogane never remembered how he got inside. All he remembered was that one moment he heard a cry and he found himself rushing into the tent with two men sprawling on the ground in the next.

Kurogane found his eyes darting across the entire area, searching for a mob of blonde hair, the unmistakable sign of the mage.

He had expected to see a circle of soldiers, all clustered together, having a time of their life beating the hell out of somebody. He had expected to see the idiotic magician huddled up on the floor, enduring the assault and abuse, occasionally whimper and let out cries of pain. He had expected to come to his rescue, saving the poor man from his ordeal, enjoying every single moment of the punishment he intended to give, showing no mercy and possibly thanking them afterwards for giving him an excuse for a fight.

But what met his eyes was an empty shower room.

Then his eyes focused on a figure at the far side of the public bath.

He could vaguely see somebody standing in the hot water pool amidst the steam.

"Fai?" Kurogane yelled as he advanced forward.

With each step he took, his vision got clearer.

"What did you do to him?" He growled, temper rising.

* * *

><p>AN:

Sorry for the late update. I realised i can't write so fast. LOL

So update'll be one a week! From here story's gonna change!


	7. Taste of Abuse

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, neither do I own the starting of this story.

Warning: THIS ENTRIE STORY IS YAOI/ BxB. DO NOT PROCEED IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

LOTS OF ANGST AND RAPE/ NON CON. BE-WARNED.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7 Taste of Abuse<strong>

Fai froze in his spot. He felt every strand of the hair on his body stand as the man took a step closer.

After what seemed like an eternity, Fai turned around to find a pair of dark merciless eyes boring onto him. Fai stared wearily into them. There was no hint of compassion.

Scarface chuckled. Don't ask him how he knew, but he could tell that the man was waiting for him to notice his presence. He just did.

Fai's eyes darted towards the door and assessed his probability of escape. A plan formulated in his mind. The entrance was the only exit. If he was to evade the fat man and run straight there, he would have to face the guards. Given his agility, he might just be able to slip away before the Matsuda were to grab him.

Sure, it's tough. But it's possible. He would just have to give it a try.

As though looking through his plan, Shozu took a step to the side, blocking the entrance.

Fai smiled playfully as he skipped forward towards the fat man. His face hardened as he froze for a second, just a step before crashing into Shozu. He then twirled his body around, sticking his leg out to trip the man before turning again to get past him.

In a flash, Shozu collapsed and fell into the public bathing pool. There was a huge splash and he was on his way to the exit. Gently, he chuckled, sprinting towards the door of his freedom.

But that chuckle stop short in his throat.

A sudden force grabbed him at his ankle and hurled him back.

The sheer force sent him flying backwards and Fai grimaced as his back hit against the water knob. Hot water cascaded down into him as his vision blurred from the impact.

_What..?_

A choking force ceased him before he could finish his thoughts. His hands flew upwards as he struggled to release the grip upon his throat.

"You.." Fai coughed as a chill ran down his spine. _How can the fat man be so strong?_

The moment he opened his mouth, water gushed right in.

Fai sputtered, throwing up a mouthful of water as he struggled to loosen the rough hands upon his neck. Through the cascade of water from the shower, Fai struggled to open his eyes.

A figure stood beyond the wetness.

"Ashura-sama?" The blue eyes widen in shock and horror as he choked on the water, making him sputter uncontrollably. With chills running up his spine, his thoughts jostled.

_"It's time."_ He whispered, as the grip upon his neck tightened.

A torrent of fists rained on him. He could feel the impact of every blow plummeting right through his bone and flesh, adding extra damage to his already bruised and tattered body.

_No. It cannot be. How can he be here?_ All his senses suddenly heightened as pangs of fear exploded within him. Against his will, his body begun to tremble and then shook.

_I've escaped from his clutches, haven't I? Why is he here? Had he come to take me back? No.. _He'll never want to go back to the hellhole again. Memories from the past flashed across his mind.. The abuse he suffered at his hands.. He'll rather die than to go back to him. With that, the lanky limbs fell limp to his side and the mage gave up struggling.

As though sensing his will to die, the pair of hands loosened and he collapsed onto the ground like a puppet without strings. With his release, the cascade of water from the shower ceased and his vision finally cleared.

Ashura? He shook his head to clear his mind and vision. No. A dark shadow stood before him. In some distance behind, Shozu rested in the public pool as though watching a show.

Was it an illusion?

Out of the corner of his eyes, a familiar red glow took his attention and he found his whole body, mind and spirit drawn towards it.

It was the glow of magic.

_No. That's not possible.. _Fai gasped in surprise. He could not summon a single ounce of magic ever since he arrived in the place. How..?

Fai sputtered, gasping frantically for air.

The choking force had found its way to his throat once again. This time, it pinned him to the ground. Then he felt himself getting lifted off the ground and travelling backwards before hitting onto the solid wall once again. With each step, the grip upon his throat tightened.

The blue eyes stared into the black holes of the mystic shadow which took form of a charcoal burnt man. There was no doubt. There can only be one reason.

Dark magic.

With great difficulty, he attempted to summon his own powers from within his body.

But to no avail.

A punch to his face blanked his mind. His vision blurred for a while. He made a second attempt at casting a spell.

A chuckle broke his train of thoughts as a series of harsh spattering followed it.

"Your magic won't work here."

Shozu had spoken.

And he had understood it.

Surprise flickered through the blonde's face. Did he mishear? No. He definitely heard it right.

His dark shadow of a servant paused to look at his master. The grip upon his throat seemed to loosen.

"Who are you?" Fai choked before pain exploded on his body. It felt like a thousand needles had pierced into him all at a go. Each needle was blunt and rusted, creating thousands holes on his body, with blood oozing out. Fai screamed. But no actual sound came out.

Standing up, Shozu casted an evil grin. Through the works of magic, he had mentally inflicted physical pain upon the mage. An eerie red glow followed his ascend as wisps of smoke swirled around the fat man. It had originated from a ring upon his finger.

The stone encased in his ring glowed red, gleaming menacingly. Lifting the corner of his lips, the stoned scarred face twisted gruesomely into an evil grin. Slowly, the commander approached the pair.

"ARGHH!" Fai screamed again. In reality, only a small strangled cry managed to escape out of his mouth. The body thrashed violently to the evading force.

Shozu had pressed the glowing piece into his neck. The moment it came in contact with his skin, it burned. This time, the pain was a hundred times worse than the previous. It burned into his neck, eating into his skin, down to the bone, emitting a violent red glow in its wake.

The lithe body heaved, struggling to survive the ordeal.

The burning sensation upon his neck escalated with each passing second. It soon began to claw its way through his body. Feeling his whole body rapidly tensing up, Fai could only struggle to breathe, to fail terribly.

All of the sudden, the body begun shaking violently. It then jerked to stop before slumping down on to the cold hard ground. His mind blanked and the pair of blue eyes rolled backwards.

"What did you do to him?" The harsh growl echoed in the winter night.

* * *

><p>AN:

Guess this is where major changes to my initial story begins!

Enjoy!


	8. Caught in the Act

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, neither do i own the starting of this story.

Warning: THIS ENTRIE STORY IS YAOI/ BxB. DO NOT PROCEED IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

LOTS OF ANGST AND RAPE/ NON CON. BE-WARNED.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: Caught in the Act<strong>

Kurogane rushed in the moment he landed both men on the ground. The process probably took only minutes. There was no doubt. He was damn sure the owner of the scream had belonged to the mage.

"Fai?" The raven yelled as he entered the bathing tent. Mists met his eyes. The 1000 square foot bathing tent was empty.

Wait. There's someone at the back. Two dark shadows lurked at the far end of the tent: a silhouette of a man squatting on the ground and that of another lying on the ground. A mysterious red glow engulfed the pair. Kurogane squinted as he advanced cautiously.

_Shozu?_ The tall man frowned slightly upon recognising the back view of the squatting man. He was one of the commanders of the camp.. the man who witnessed the fight on the first day they arrived.

Kurogane could clearly remember the word he used then. 'Unbalanced.' That was how the fat man described his mage and accused him of assault. What bullshit. That idiot may be weird but he wouldn't attack anyone for no reason.

"Unbalanced." He grunted. _Sounded more like him to me. _Who in the right mind would first accuse one of assault and plead for the man's release on the next day.

Back then, Shozu had been the only eye witness for the fight between Fai and the two men guarding the tent just now. According to the fat man, the mage had suddenly attacked and wounded his men. As a result, Fai was subjected to punishment for three days. However, on the next day, Shozu had suddenly decided to change his mind and terminated Fai's punishment. It definitely demonstrated his authority in the camp.. But so what? His actions were illogical. Kurogane wondered for a brief moment how such a man could be made a commander. Friend or foe, one thing for sure, he did not like him. There's something about him..

So why is he here? _Where's.._ His eyes trailed downwards.

The pair of red eyes widened. A mob of blonde met his eyes and his hand shifted onto the hilt of his sword.

From his angle, he could not really see anything behind the man. But that blonde mob of hair.. no one else in the camp had blonde hair. He could definitely confirm that the body lying on the floor was Fai's.

"What did you do to him?" Kurogane demanded harshly. His mind raced at the confirmation of the unmoving body. _If the stupid mage was hurt in one way or another..._ He could feel his anger rising rapidly as a sense of protectiveness over the blonde swarm over him.

At those words, the squatting silhouette froze momentarily and looked back briefly. The red glow suddenly diminished. Slowly, the fat man stood up and turned to look at Kurogane, exposing what was concealed.

There, the body of the mage lay on ground, motionlessly. The blue eyes lay wide opened and unseeing. His mouth opened agape, lips moving, whispering unheard words. As though having a spasm, the mage was shaking violently.

"You son of a.." Without finishing his sentence, the tall man lunged forward, pulling out his sword.

It happened so fast that Shozu had just enough time to evade his attack. He ducked back just as the sword swing downwards onto his face. The tip of edge briefly swiped passed his cheek, leaving a small cut onto his already scarred face. In another second, the next swing was already coming hard and fast towards his stomach.

Only due to his many years on the battlefield that he honed his instinct to react, he managed to jump back in time, preventing his guts from spilling. But that leap also lost him his footing, landing him hard on the ground. Shozu watched as the next blade about to come down on him and wondered for a brief second if he should unleash his magic on the man.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?" A booming voice echoed in the empty bath tent, followed by a series of footstep as Mizuro marched into with a few other men.

The fighting ceased to a sudden stop upon the arrival of the War Master as Kurogane stopped short in his attack and lowered his sword.

"Mizuro-sama" Both men greeted Mizuro, giving a small bow. It was the proper procedure upon meeting the War Master

Mizuro eyed the pair, first to the sword in Kurogane's hand, then to Shozu and Kurogane and finally lingering on the lithe body of the mage on the ground. He watched as the body on spasm jerked to stop before slumping down on to the cold hard ground.

"What happened here?"

"LOOK WHAT HE DID TO HIM!" At that question, Kurogane exploded, raising his sword at the fat man.

"What did you do to him?" Mizuro enquired Shozu sharply, raising an eyebrow at Kurogane's raised sword.

Slowly, but reluctantly, the tall man lowered his arm. Despite his hot-headedness and unwillingness, he knew when he really need to control anger. It was a lesson he learnt in the hard way during his journey.

"I did nothing to him. When I came in, he was already like this. I was merely bending over to help him when Kurogane-san came in and attacked me." Shozu replied calmly.

"WHAT?!" Kurogane exploded, lunging himself at Shozu once again. _LIES. How could he be helping? THAT SON OF A BITCH!_

But this time, resistive force met his arms.

"You know the rules. No fighting is allowed unless on training grounds."

Dread filled the tall man's guts. _No. That was not how it was supposed to turn out._

"Lock him up in the dungeons until tomorrow's meeting" War Master Mizuro commanded.

"BUT.." Before the raven could protest, Mizuro interrupted.

"You attacked an unarmed man."

Blood boiled as Kurogane tried his utmost best to not lunge at the fat man and kill him.

There was no point arguing. The conclusion had been made.

"Bring him away."

It was obvious now. That man was no friend. Kurogane could only eye him with spite as he marched out of the room. His eyes lingered on the limp body of the mage, a sense of helplessness creeping onto him.

"I can walk by myself." He growled, taking one last look at his travelling companion before exiting. He had gotten into enough trouble and it would be unwise to do more damage now that he would be stuck behind bars, unable to protect the mage.

As the crowd took their leave, Mizuro, too, turned to leave the room.

"And the blonde?" A low voice echoed from behind him, making him pause in his track.

At those words, Mizuro turned his head slightly, eyeing the mage who was lying motionlessly on the ground. Other than the sound of footsteps in the distance, silence engulfed the bathing tent. Only him, Shozu and a limp body remained in the tent.

"I'll make necessary arrangement."

Heavy silence hung in the air as Shozu looked expectedly at the War Master.

"..to your satisfaction." Mizuro added reluctantly after a long pause.

A smirk crawled up the scarred face.

"This is the last time I'm allowing you to do what you want." Mizuro growled in a low voice in obvious displeasure. "Stop creating trouble."

"I understand." Shozu bowed deeply as the War Master marched out. Behind the shadow casted upon his face, the smirk upon his face spread wider. A drop of blood dripped down from the newly inflicted scar upon his face. It did nothing to conceal the evil glint reflected in his eyes.

A harsh red glow shone in the semi-darkness as dark magic swirled within the arena.

"_He's all yours now." _Whispers echoed in the silence of the night.

* * *

><p>AN:

Sorry guys, but I don't think i'll be able to upload the next chapter on time next week. (I haven't started writing it.. D:)

I'll be pretty busy rushing reports and stuff so it might take a while. Sorry for the delay.

But it'll be nice to have some feedback for the story.

Thanks!


	9. Dungeon and Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, neither do i own the starting of this story.

Warning: THIS ENTRIE STORY IS YAOI/ BxB. DO NOT PROCEED IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

LOTS OF ANGST AND RAPE/ NON CON. BE-WARNED.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Dungeon and Memories<strong>

Kurogane paced around his cell of confinement in irritation, cussing as he mumbled to himself. Once in a while, he would march to the iron gates, rattle the bars and demand for his release. His demands, on the other hand, were often met with silences or yells telling him to shut up.

The tall man would then bang his fist against the wall, causing speckles of dusts to leap from the cracks and settle onto the ground.

"Fuck." The raven swore once again as he swung his fists upon the chilly stone bricks. A loud thud reverberated after it.

The image of the mage's lifeless body on the ground had flashed across his mind once again. Those wide unseeing blue eyes that stared into the distance.. The lithe body of the mage in spasm..

"It's all his fault." His vision blurred as blood gushed to his head upon the next image flash. The sneering face of Shozu when he got arrested.. "That fucker."

The thick brows lunged as the sneering face of Shozu lingered in his mind.

"That sneer... Looks fucking damn familiar.."

The brows then leapt up in surprise.

A scene he never really took to heart emerged in his head..

Could it be?

...

It was a scene he chanced upon on the day they arrived in Shura..

...

_"I'm sorry to bother you Kurogane-sama, but do you mind passing this to Mizuro-sama?" A small boy bowed deeply as he clutched a scroll container with one hand and his stomach with another._

_Seeing the suspicious look upon the tall man's face, the small boy added, "I am Ryu and I deliver messages for this army. I've got something urgent to do. Really sorry to bother you but it's important."_

_"Alright." The tall man grunted, receiving the scroll container from the fidgeting kid. "Hurry and run to the toilet before it's too late."_

_"Thank you Kurogane-sama! Make sure you pass directly to Mizuro-sama! It's important!" The voice of the messenger boy rang in appreciation and the boy, Ryu took off immediately, heading to the bath tent. Seems like the kid need the toilet real bad._

_The raven was making his way to the training ground when he bumped into the kid. He remembered seeing him at the battlefield and was wondering why is such a young boy doing in an army camp. Guess he was simply running errands._

_Spotting a mob of blonde by in a far corner, Kurogane snapped out of his thought and frowned. Fai? What is he doing here at this time? The training assembly was about to begin._

_"Oi Mage!" Kurogane yelled. But instead of responding to his call, Fai simply continued on his way, disappearing behind one of the tents. What the hell is he doing heading in the opposite direction?_

_"Dang that blonde." The tall man swore as he followed after. Despite the brief encounter, Kurogane had not missed the frantic expression on his face. The blonde's lost._

_"That idiot's going to get them throw out of the camp even before the sun sets." Kurogane muttered, increasing his pace in attempt to catch up to Fai. Assembly's starting in 10 minutes and the mage's lost in the residential area. 'How troublesome..'_

_Yet, when he reached the spot he last seen the blonde, there was no one in sight. Where the hell did he.. Kurogane frowned until he spotted the mob of hair disappearing into another corner. There!_

_The tall man stride forward to a lean figure hiding behind the flap of the tent, peeking beyond. There he is! The distinctive blonde stood out among the blackness of the tent._

_What the hell is that idiot doing now? Kurongane sighed as he approached the lean figure. Something seemed to have caught his interest._

_Tell me he's not..? Just as that sudden thought flashed in his head, a butterfly fluttered away from Fai, affirming his hypothesis. _

_I knew it. Kurogane thought as he rolled his eyes. Why did i even think he was lost? He must have caught sight of his face when he was frantically searching for his butterfly. Fancy chasing butterflies at this time. The tall man hissed. He had no idea why but the mage seems to be intrigued with butterflies._

_The butterfly now fluttered towards him and disappeared behind. Now that the source of his distraction is gone, the raven tapped his feet waiting for the magician to turn around._

_Seconds passed but he remained in his stance._

_"Fai!" He growled as the warning horn for the assembly sounded. The assembly was to begin in 5 minutes._

_At the sound of his name, the lean body jumped up in surprise._

_In that swift moment, Fai tripped on the tent ties which was spanned across before him, stumbling forward and crashed into the tent. Due to the elastic material and his lack of weight, the mage then bounced from the tent like a ball on a trampoline, right out into the opening space beyond._

_What a dumb ass. Why am I stuck with him? Kurogane hissed once again as he stride forward. Despite his annoyance, he could not help but be concerned about his travelling partner._

_Before he could reach the other end of the tent, a dishevelled figure emerged before him, looking slightly shaken. However, in a few seconds a wide grin soon replaced it and..._

_"Kuro-tan! ~~ " That was the only phrase he recognised before a blabber of gibberish followed. Seeing the splatter of mud on the blonde, the raven grunted louder in annoyance._

_The scolding he intended to give gave way to a cuss as the horn for assembly sounded and he found himself moving forward despite not putting in any effort._

_It appeared that at the sound of the horn, Fai had grabbed his wrist, twirling him around. He then somehow teleported himself to his back and begun pushing him forth. Mud splashed as the huge man glided on the floor._

_"ALRIGHT NOW. I CAN WALK BY MYSELF!" Kurogane boomed as he applied pressure to prevent himself from sliding further._

_Fai giggled, stopping short before bowing 90 degrees, raising an arm to indicate the direction, similar to how a waiter in a high class restaurant does the action when their customer arrive at the entrance._

_Kurogane rolled his eyes, grunting irritably. Trust the man to still do these silly things. His eyes could not help but darted around slightly, subconsciously looking around to see if anyone witnessed the scene. If the mage continued acting like that, he is going to stay far far away. Such an embarrassment._

_That was when he realised that the scroll he was tasked to hand to the War Master was no longer in his hands. He must have dropped when Fai turned hima around and pushed him towards the training area._

_"Fuck. Look what you've done." Kurogane cursed. "Stay here until I come back!" The tall man pointed to Fai then to the ground, indicating for him to stay. "You better not budge an inch!" He threatened before turning around, tracing his steps to retrieve the lost item._

_Where.._

_Ah.. there it is. The darting red eyes halted on a cylindrical roll sitting nicely on a grass patch by a pool of mud. Luckily it landed on the grass. The man thought as he bend down to pick it up._

_"Please, I know you can do it!" A small hushed whisper urged from beyond another tent caught Kurogane's attention._

_"You have to do it." The voice suddenly turned harsh and demanding, booming in the silence of the cluster of tents._

_Even though it was unlike him to eavesdrop, Kurogane could not help but raised his sight and eyed the pair before. He looked up just to see a soldier releasing his grip on the War Master's arm._

_Mizuro paused in his steps and eyed him in disgust. "Mind your language. Who do you think you're speaking to?"_

_"Now's probably not a good time.."_

_Kurogane eyed the pair again before turning around and headed to the assembly point. He will have to pass the scroll to Mizuro during the assembly._

His memory then stop short at the scene.

This time the expression on the soldier lingered in his mind as though the memory was fresh as yesterday.

That sneer..

It was the same sneer he saw on that soldier who threatened Mizuro the first day they arrived. No wonder it was so familiar.

Now that he recall back, he was positive that soldier had been that fat man Shozu. No. He was damn sure it was him. With the sudden recognition, Kurogane's frown deepened as more questions jostled in his head.

What was with the conversation he overheard?

Fuck. He should have stayed longer and get some clues on what was going on.

Wait... Wait. That was the same location Fai was lingering when he first found him. Did he overheard the conversation?

No. He fell into the clearing.. Did they come after they left? ... Unless they spotted him? Could it be? Was it why Fai looked so shaken? He was spotted? Was that the reason why he was in such a rush to usher him away from the scene? To prevent them from knowing his presence?

Was this always why the bastard's doing this to Fai? Because Fai knows his secret?

Kurogane was starting to connect the dots.

Fai had stumbled upon something he wasn't supposed to know. So now Shozu's trying to get rid of him.. Whatever it was, he was god damn sure the fat man's the culprit.

Out of rage, Kurogane leapt onto his feet and marched to the gates. "I need to talk to the War Master. Tell him I need to speak to him!" The man yelled, pausing while he waited for a reply he knew would never come. He needed to make sure.

"FUCK!." This time, the iron bars rattled violently. "SWEAR! WHEN I'M OUTTA HERE, I'M GONNA.."

His sentence stopped short as sounds of footsteps approached his cell.

Someone was coming.

* * *

><p>AN:

Yup! Finally it's done! Hope its a good read. :)

Really sorry for the late update.. School's been crazy and now that hols have come, i'll be on intern.

So.. the next chapter won be too soon either :(

I'll try to write when i can k! :)


	10. Two Weeks Ago

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, neither do i own the starting of this story.

Warning: THIS ENTRIE STORY IS YAOI/ BxB. DO NOT PROCEED IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

LOTS OF ANGST AND RAPE/ NON CON. BE-WARNED.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: Two Weeks Ago<strong>

It was probably the most awful sensation he had encountered so far while travelling with the gang.

"God damn it Monoka!" Kurogane swore, picking himself off the ground as he staggered slightly due to the dizziness. "Can you do a better job next time?"

A soft thud came from behind him and the tall man turned around in time to see his lean companion elegantly landing on his feet some distance away.

"Wizards." The raven scoured, deliberately rolling his eyes as he proceeded to pat himself free of the dirt. Somehow, the blonde could always land himself on his feet while he always fail to do so.

"I'm so gonna learn how to do this." The man muttered, frowning as he bend down to pick his sword.

"Oi kid, how's Sakura-hime doing?"

"_£¤¦¨® ¬¢µÀßÞÄµ ϒƠºÀßÞ. Sakura, Monoko, Syaoran Ơº ¬¢Àß_."A series of strange sounds came out from Fai mouth.

"What?" Kurogane frowned, picking up his ear. He must have missed heard it. "What did you just say?" It was Fai's voice no doubt. Smooth and flowery-like as usual, but strangely, he could not understand it.

"_£¤¦¨® ¬¢µÀßÞÄµ ϒƠºÀßÞ. Sakura, Monoko, Syaoran Ơº ¬¢Àß." _An amused look hung upon the mage face as he burst into laughter before approaching him, muttering another string of nonsense.

"What the fuck? Is this some sort of joke?"

It was only 5 seconds later then he finally got what Fai was laughing at. The irritating bastard was laughing at his accent and language. Déjà Vu hit him like a stone in his face. The scene when they first met flashed onto his mind. That was when the truth dawned on him. Somehow, he had no idea how, but during, Monoka must have dropped them accidentally here while transporting them to the next location. Without Monoka, they could not understand one another.

"Goodness. Are you serious?"

"Oi Monoka! Kid! Come out!" Kurogane yelled, eyes darting around for any sign of them.

However, no matter how hard he yelled, nobody replied him. Only Fai's small chuckle responded. Without a doubt, there was no one but them in the clearing. A gentle breeze blew past, making the trees rustle in its wake. In the distance, occasional chirping of birds and the soft sound of crickets filled the air.

Kurogane took in the environment as the realisation that they were stranded alone sunk in. It seemed that they have landed in some forest. Tall trees enveloped the clearing they landed on. Looking through the thick vegetation, the trees and bushes seemed to stretch on for miles.

"Oi Mage! Have you got any idea where are we? Can you use your magic to find the rest?" All these while the blonde who was laughing his guts out now staring amusingly at him. A confused look spread across his face and he simply shrugged, replying him with another line of his flowery slur which he could not understand.

"MAA-GIC" Kurogane enunciated. Fai tilted his head sideways, a confused look hung upon his face as he once again answered in his native tongue.

"You really don't understand what I'm saying, do you?" Kurogane sighed. This time, he pointed to his ear before shaking his head.

At look of sudden enlighten spread across his face at his movement. The mage nodded, smiling then pointed to his ear, shaking his head.

Kurogane rolled his eyes. "Magic." He said, raising his hand as though he was wielding a fireball. Despite his attempt, Fai nevertheless gave him a confused look, following by a flowery sentence of what it sounds like 'I don't know what you're talking about'.

This turned out much harder than he expected. Kurogane hissed loudly. Left with no choice, there was only one thing he could do to convey the message.

"This better work. And you better not laugh. Else i'll kill you." The tall man swore before taking a deep breath. He then proceeded to mimic the mage's usual stance and action while he perform his magic.

At his performance, Fai's face fell, a solemn look hung upon his face as he shook his face.

"Urgh. Can you stop being so stubborn and just use it? We need to find the rest soon. We don't even know if they're safe." Kurogane grunted angrily. Seems like Fai was still refusing to use his magic. Trust him to be so stubborn at this time.

At his words, Fai shook his head again, frowning slightly this time.

"No. That's not it. You're trying to tell me that can't use your magic?" The man muttered. This time he understood. Now that he mentioned it, he had not feel an ounce of magic since they arrived here. Magic was probably prohibited in this world, he concluded. "Never mind. Nothing we can do about it anyway. Let's just go. We need to find the rest before the sky gets dark. They shouldn't land too far from here." The tall man buckled up his sword, in preparation for his search.

"Let's go." Kurogane added, taking a stride forward. He had noticed the continuous drift of smoke above the clouds in the distance. That symbolised the presence of people. For all they know, Syaoran and Sakura could be waiting for them there.

"Oi Fai!" Kurogane stopped short in his steps noting that the blonde had headed off in the opposite direction. At the sound of his name, Fai jolted up in surprise before grinning broadly. He seemed happy to finally hear a familiar word coming from his travelling companion.

"This way!" Kurogane nudged his head slightly in the direction of the smoke.

"_Äµ ϒƠ Kuro-chan!_" The mage beamed before skipping forth in front of him. Kurogane growled in response, shaking his head. Even with the language barrier, the mage nevertheless succeed in annoying him.

"_Kuro-rin?_" Fai called, peeking from behind a bush. The pair had hiked on for some time now. They were heading towards it but somehow, after awhile they couldn't get any nearer.

"_Kuro?_" Fai called again, signalling for him to come. Raising an eye, Kurogane followed him.

Upon exiting from the bush, loud gushing sounds of water filled the air and a river which cut through the woods came into view. To the left, a waterfall plummeted down 100 feet from above.

Kurogane watched as the water hurried down the waterfall, pounding down into a small lake before gushing passed him. The stream before him was almost 10 feet wide and the smoke they had been tracking was just a distance away. Kurogane assessed the situation. They were blocked by the waterfall on the right and the river after it stretched far into the horizon. To get there, they had no choice but to cut directly across.

"Kuro-tan?" Fai called out again. This time a tinge of urgency rang in his voice.

The tall man, pausing in action to look up to see a highly alert blonde staring into the distance, across the river. Just at the moment, his sense for danger tingled just so slightly. his senses immediately heightened but the gushing of the water had dulled his hearing ability.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a slight disturbance to a bush across.

That was when he realised something was not right. Except for the gushing sound of water, nothing could be heard. The air was still and the forest was in a taunting silence. It was as though there was an absence of life. No birds chirp, no insect creaking.. A sense of foreboding danger lurk beyond those trees across.

That was when the rustle became apparent. All of a sudden, something shot out of nowhere, aiming at.. Not one, not two but a dozen of them.

"Careful!" His ninja sense kicked in as he lunged to the side.

In that split second, both men dropped to the ground, rolling continuously attempting to keep out of the arrow's trajectory. Loud thuds reverberated, with the arrows sinking into the mud behind.

As sudden as it began, the torrent of arrows ceased.

"What the fuck was that?" Picking himself up, Kurogane swore, drawing his sword. His eyes darted to the woods beyond, watchful for any other imminent danger lurking before them.

The red iris dilated at the sight of a row of men dressed in black. Each of them had their bows drawn upon them. Kurogane watched as one of them gave out a command and out of nowhere, another row of soldiers march forth, each holding a sword, surrounding them. They have been cornered.

Kurogane drew out his sword. Without a word, Fai and Kurogane gave each other a look and both men made preparation to fight. At another sound of a command, the soldier charged forward. The fight has begun.

Even though the two of them put up a good fight, there were simply too many of them. As they knock out the men one by one, more just poured out from behind the trees. It didn't take long for the army of soldiers to capture them and brought them across the shore.

There were 24 men escorting them now. If the mage worked with him to take out half of them, there's a chance they could escape from their clutches. But the key was that it had to be done before they got to the camp. It was pretty obvious that an army camp resided somewhere near and the smoke they had been following originated from them. Kurogane had given up on negotiating with them. Every time he attempted to talk to them, they simply ignored him, nudging him to walk faster. He had no idea if they were under orders to keep silence or simply because they could not understand him. Kurogane trudged along as he evaluated his chance of escaping. Very quickly, Kurogane formulated a plan in his mind.

He then turned over to communicate his plans with Fai. All it took was one look and a few directing using their eyes. When it comes to battle strategies, they had been working long enough to understand each other even without speaking. There's no time to talk during a fight.

However, to Kurogane's surprise, a solemn look spread across the mage face as Fai shook his head in disapproval. Kurogane frowned, unable to fathom why Fai was so passive about his escape plan. There was a good chance it may succeed. The chance would be slipping with each passing time.

That was when Kurogane decided to act on his own. He would be able to do this without Fai. But before he could carry out his plans, a loud voice boomed from behind as a man in armor rode into view from beyond the trees.

"Intruders, state your purpose! Are you spies of Ashura?" The man in armor demanded, halting his horse just before the pair. It was a man in his thirties. His sharp contours shaping his cheekbones and chin as well as the his almost perfect nose him could hail him as attractive. But it was those black eyes.. those his battle-worn eyes, the tiredness that lingered within, weary and alert of every single moment that protrayed someone vastly older than his age. His entire being radiated the aura of position and power.

"Mizuro-War Master." At the sight of the man, all 24 soldier bowed in unison, muttering their usual greeting.

Even though there was something different about the language, Kurogane understood every word the man just said.

"No. We come in peace!" Kurogane replied solemnly, taking a huge bow. "We're simply travelers who lost our way while finding our companions. We saw the smoke from afar and we thought it was the fire our companion had set up."

For the next 10 seconds, time seemed to have stood still.

Then the leader of the archer men walked forth, and whispered something into the man's ear.

"Is that so?" Amusement spread across his suave face.

"I heard you two knock down half the men I send to you capture you. Is that true?" The man's voice boomed with authority and amusement.

Silence greeted his question as Kurogane simply eyed him before bowing his head. All these while, Fai stood solemnly at the side, a emotionless expression hung upon his face. Occasionally, he would eye the person talking before looking back onto the ground.

"If you can prove yourself worthy of Yasha's army, we will provide sovereignty for you and your companion while you wait for the arrival of your friends."

At those words, thoughts jostled in Kurogane's mind. Staying with them could mean protection from the other warring parties. But it could mean danger especially for the blonde. Communication is important in times of strategies where people are too far away to make eye contact but could be heard. Maybe it would be better if they just stay by themselves and try to stay out of the affairs of this world. But before he could make the decision to leave, the man's voice boomed again.

"I would not make that choice if I were you. In this country, you can only pledge your alliance with us or join Ashura. Any person with other allegiance, or no allegiance will be executed immediately."

"How do we prove ourselves worthy of your camp?"

A smile spread across the man's face. Kurogane immediately felt the ropes around his body loosened and subsequently fell to the ground. The next thing he knew, three men were pulling on huge metal chains, dragging a huge crate out. The crate shook violently with each step they took and loud indistinguishable noises came from within.

Kurogane clenched his teeth as he watched the men remove the metal chains bounded around it before dispersing away.

"_Fight that_."

All of a sudden, the crate burst opened.

* * *

><p>AN:

A longer chapter for the slow update. So sorry. Life's been hectic recently.

I see when i'll have time to write the next chapter k :)


	11. Visitors of the Prisoner

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, neither do i own the starting of this story.

Warning: THIS ENTRIE STORY IS YAOI/ BxB. DO NOT PROCEED IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

LOTS OF ANGST AND- About RAPE/ NON CON. BE-WARNED.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven: Visitors of the Prisoner<strong>

Kurogane watched as a small figure scuttled swiftly from beyond the dark tunnel, its silhouette casting great big shadows upon those cold dungeon grounds. Small, almost silent footsteps accompanied him with every step he took.

It was as though he had been trying to minimize the noise he's making while walking, but in this silence of the dungeon, it was impossible to mask it.

"What do you want?" Kurogane growled just as his visitor came into view. The tall man did not have to guess to know that it was the messenger boy, Ryu who was approaching. There was no one else in this camp possessing such small frame.

"Just go away." Kurogane spat, waving his hand in dismissal. He knew he should have been more polite but he was really in no mood to entertain the child at this point of time. Furthermore, he never master the art of dealing with children.. They're just too.. troublesome.

"Sire, I know you are irritated, but please listen to me." The boy whispered as he pressed himself into the cold iron bars as though willing himself to pass through them just to get nearer the raven. "The conclusion of the meeting will not be to your liking but you need to agree to the plan."

The dark brows upon the tall man's face plunged at those words as confusion hit him like a wave upon a boat. "What plan?" He demanded as he walked froth to meet the sudden visitor.

"Kurogane-sama, there will be a meeting later and you'll be involved. No matter what the decision is, you need to agree to it." Ryu hushed, babbling off in his local accent.

"What plan, what meeting, what decision?" The tall man grunted as he grabbed the kid's shirt, lifting him off his feet.

"Kurogane-sama, I'm just a messenger doing his job. It's not safe for me to be spotted with you now." The boy whispered urgently, eyes darting towards the exit as though he was expecting an army to burst through those doors. "Please just agree to the terms! I need to go now!"

"There's no one now. Tell me! What the fuck are you talking about?" Kurogane demanded, lifting the kid higher by another inch. Ryu's feet now dangled freely above the ground.

Just as those words came out of his mouth, indistinct sounds of people talking and the rattling sound of the gates opening in the far distance travelled down the aisle to the pair.

Ryu's worry was not unfounded.

At the sound of the commotion, Kurogane relaxed his grip on Ryu and returned his feet to the ground. His attention now focused in the far distance.

"I'm sorry Sire, you're not supposed to be in here. We cannot let you in." The voice of the solider on guard came in loud and clear.

"What's going on?" Kuragane growled, narrowing his eyes, turning back to glare at Ryu.

"I really need to go now. Kishimoto-san's hinting me." Ryu replied nervously, his eyes darting from Kurogane to the stairs in the far distance. "I told Kishimoto-san I'll help him deliver his letter to his sweetheart if he could help me look out while I'm in here."

"I don't care if you get caught or something. Give me the explanation I want now."

"What is going on?"

The chains rattled as the guard, Kishimoto reluctantly open the door. "Sire, I will report this to Mizuro-sama." Kishimoto's voice rang out, sending the 2nd cue to Ryu.

Ryu started to tremble in fear as sounds of footsteps coming down the stairs echoed from beyond the aisle.

In desperation, Ryu gave one last attempt at convincing the tall man. "Kurogane-Sama, I would explain everything to you if I have the time. But I really need to go. I'll promise to look after Fai-san for you. "

Huh..Fai?

At the mention of the name, Kurogane's mind blanked for a second. And so did his grip. In that split second, the boy caught the chance and wiggled his way to his escape.

The tall man tried to make a grab at him again but it was too late. The boy was well beyond his reach now.

"I'm sorry Kurogane-sama, but I cannot explain things to you now. I'm also not too sure what's really going on. But I'll protect Fai-san. I'll try my best!" Ryu whispered solemnly, placing his right fist on his heart as he took a 90 degrees bow. "Man's honour." He added, flashing a small grin.

With that, he scuttled off into the darkness and the boy was gone in a flash.

Footsteps in the far distance drew louder and stopped shortly.

"My my.. Look what we have here. A dog locked up in a cage." The distinct tone of a certain somebody mingled with the slur of the Shura Country's language Kurogane felt the blood in his veins shot right up into his head.

"Shozu." He spat with the utmost distain he could gather. "What are you doing here?"

The tall man gripped the metal bars so tightly that it almost bend under the pressure.

"What the fuck did you come here for?" The red-eyed raven glared in utmost distain as he hurled torrents of animosity at the man.

The sneer upon the scarred face widen significantly as Shozu simply looked at Kurogane.

"Nothing." He smiled lightly. "Just visiting to see how you're doing."

Blood shot to his head once again at his words. "Leave. I have no wish to see you." Turning to head back to the bench of a bed he was provided with, his hand clenched into a tight fist. Something is going on outside, in the camp and he need to get out to know what.

Shozu chuckled slightly."Ohh.. You don't know about that." An evil glint flashed across his eyes.

"I know you're up to something." Kurogane replied calmly.

The smirk faltered slightly and for a second, the fat man shook. For that second, a look of nervousness flashed upon Shozu's face.

But within another, he composed himself and the smirk resurfaced.

Gently he chuckled once again.

"You would really wish you can see me every day." The man replied as though what Kurogane said had not existed.

Then, just as sudden as he arrived, the man turned and left.

From the bed which he lied, he could see the face of that man hardened before smirking again.

Many could have missed it, but to the sharp-eyed and sharp-ear ninja it was as clear as out in broad day light and as loud as one would scream next to his ear.

Focusing on the exit, very softly, he threw a line, pausing in his step. It was as though he was talking to himself but also meant for Kurogane to hear.

_"Ohh.. you have no idea what I'm up to.."_

The man gave one last emotionless look at Kurogane and left.

* * *

><p>AN:

Sorry this took longer than i expected. I finished it sometime ago but i didnt have the time to upload.

Next chapter'll be up real soon! I'm almost done with it :)

_PS: I wonder what is Shozu up to?_


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